Summary

• Unexpected and intense dark moments add depth to CW series and characters, surprising audiences.
• From serial killers to supernatural torture, these storylines reveal the darker side of familiar characters.
• The CW's willingness to explore dark themes and storylines proves to be a captivating and bold move.

Throughout the years, a few storylines on popular CW series have taken a turn and become darker, diverting audiences' expectations of the network. The CW is known for series such as Smallville, Riverdale, and The 100. Any drama series is going to have its fair share of intense storylines, but these instances caught audiences off guard due to their sudden and unexpected nature.

While the dark nature is unexpected from the CW, it's not necessarily a negative thing. A commonality among these moments is the way they affected their respective series. Each instant showcased a different, and darker, side to the characters, rounding out and providing depth to not only the individual characters but the series as a whole.

10 Dollmaker Explains Torture (Arrow)

Season 2, Episode 3, "Broken Dolls"

In season two of Arrow, Barton Mathis is introduced. Mathis is a serial killer given the nickname "the Dollmaker" due to his twisted acts of pouring polymer down his victim's throats and then dressing their dead bodies up as dolls. In "Broken Dolls," Quentin Lance and Oliver Queen attempt to track him down but are instead led to a telephone where Mathis taunts them through the phone as he kills another victim. It's a difficult moment to digest for both Lance, on the phone, and the audience, as both are aware there's nothing to be done to help that victim.

9 Esther Sacrifices Her Children (The Vampire Diaries)

Season 3, Episode 14, "Dangerous Liaisons"

In The Vampire Diaries, Esther Mikaelson is the most powerful witch in history, responsible for creating the original vampires. Despite being thought of as having been dead, Esther comes back in season three. Upon her return, Esther informs Elena of her plan to gather her children in one place and kill them through a Linking spell. Much of what makes this episode dark is not only Esther's approach to ending the family bloodline, but also how her children, while skeptical of their mother's intentions, are largely unaware of her plans.

8 Lex Kills Grant (Smallville)

Season 7, Episode 10, "Persona"

Smallville is a CW show based on the character of Superman. In the series' seventh season, it's revealed that the character of Grant Gabriel is a clone of Lex Luthor's deceased brother, Julian. Lex's mother killed Julian when he was young to save him from Lionel Luthor's parenting and Lex takes the blame to protect his mother. In "Persona," Lex doesn't like how close Lionel and Grant are becoming and decides to send a hitman after his brother.

This moment in Smallville shows a darker side to Lex and sets up his villainous journey for the remainder of the series. Lex's aching reaction to the "job done" message from the hitman also provides a vulnerable look at the villain. Michael Rosenbaum is often praised by fans for his performance and portrayal of a refined Lex Luthor.

7 Ontari Kills Nightblood Children (The 100)

Season 3, Episode 9, "Stealing Fire"

In the third season of The 100, Ontari, a Nightblood from the Ice Nation, is introduced. Ontari is determined to be the next Commander after Lexa is killed. However, rather than winning the conclave, a battle to the death with one victor, she takes a different approach and kills the other Nightbloods. Her actions shock everyone as she holds up the head of a deceased child and declares her victory, thus her role as the new Commander. It's a dark moment and one that continues the theme in the series of doing whatever it takes to survive.

6 Dean Tortured By Humans (Supernatural)

Season 1, Episode 15, "The Benders"

In Supernatural, Sam and Dean are used to facing creatures such as demons and monsters. However, one of the darker moments in the series happens when their enemy unexpectedly turns out to be humans. "The Benders" follows the two as they are investigating the disappearance of a man. During their investigation, they are both captured and experience brutal torture from a family that hunts people. The human element of their torture makes the episode stand out from others in the season as being one of the darkest.

5 Stefan Becomes The Ripper (The Vampire Diaries)

Season 2, Episode 22, "As I Lay Dying"

"Rippers" are brute vampires who willingly kill others with no remorse. Throughout most of the series, Stefan is seen as a vampire with morals, doing right by others. However, to save his brother, he agrees to Klaus' orders to return to his violent Ripper ways. "As I Lay Dying" is when Stefan becomes a Ripper again, though season three is when he's seen gradually becoming darker and more intense. Not only are his actions dark, which is expected with the series' supernatural elements, but it's a contrast to the Stefan audiences are familiar with.

4 Killing Everyone In Mount Weather (The 100)

Season 2, Episode 16, "Blood Must Have Blood, Part Two"

Clarke in The 100 is often faced with the task of making difficult decisions from the minute the 100 landed on Earth. In season two, Cage and Mount Weather guards work to restrain the Sky People and extract their bone marrow as immunity for the Mountain Men. To save her friends, Clarke pulls a lever that transmits radiation from outside through the vents, effectively killing everyone on Mount Weather. Although the series revolves around survival, it's a particularly dark moment because much of the blame was put solely on Clarke and it was a decision that continued to haunt her.

3 Savitar Kills H.R. Wells (The Flash)

Season 3, Episode 23, "Finish Line"

"Finish Line" takes audiences on an emotional journey with a twist that's partly relieving, while still being devastating. Team Flash does everything they can to save Iris from being killed by Savitar, a villainous duplicate of Barry Allen. Unfortunately, they are too late and Savitar stabs Iris. However, it's revealed Iris didn't die because H.R. Wells disguised himself as Iris, sacrificing his life and acting as a catalyst in Barry's desire to take down Savitar. While death is common in superhero media, this moment was notably dark for its spinning of the truth and the emotional ups and downs.

2 Bloody Mary Terrorizes Sam And Dean (Supernatural)

Season 1, Episode 5, "Bloody Mary"

In "Bloody Mary," Sam and Dean learn about Mary, a girl who died young with her spirit now trapped in a mirror. With the knowledge that she goes after those who experience guilt over another's death, Sam, who'd previously lost his girlfriend, summons Mary. The way Supernatural approached the urban legend is what makes the content of the episode dark, considering many audiences are familiar with the tale. In addition, taunting Sam about the guilt he feels adds another element of darkness to the storyline, though he works through it in the end.

1 Octavia Becomes The Red Queen (The 100)

Season 5, Episode 2, "Red Queen"

Octavia Blake has a dramatic character arc throughout the entirety of The 100 series. In season five, Octavia became known as Blodreina due to her leadership and control of those in the bunker. "Red Queen" is the start of Octavia's ruthless reign where she is seen watching over people fighting to the death as punishment. Octavia's time as the fierce leader is something almost entirely new to the character, adding darkness to the character that affects her relationship with others, namely her brother Bellamy.